Welsh Music Prize Finalists announced

The shortlist for this year’s Welsh Music Prize has been announced. The full list is: 1. Exit International “Black Junk” 2. Truckers of the Husk “Accelerated Leaning” 3. Los Campesinos! “Hello Sadness” 4. Kutosis “Fanatical Love” 5. Kid in Glass Houses “In Gold Blood” 6. Jodie Marie “Mountain Echo” 7. Islet “Illuminated People” . Huw M “Gathering Dusk” 9. Future of the Left “The Plot Against Common Sense” 10. Cowbois Rhos Botwnog “Draw Dros Y Mynydd” 11. Cate Le Bon “CYRK” and finally our favourite and tip 12. Bright Light Bright Light “Make Me Believe in Hope”. There will be a concert 17th October featuring some of the artists on the shortlist and the winner will be announced at a special dinner on Thursday 18th October.

Africa Express Steams into Town

AFRICA EXPRESS 2012 will be heading to Cardiff for a show at the University's Solus venue on Thursday 6th September featuring Damon Albarn Baaba Maal Amadou & Mariam Rokia Traoré Kano Baloji Charli XCX Fatoumata Diawara Jupiter & Okwess International Jack Steadman (Bombay Bicycle Club). Tickets are on sale now priced £15 and are available form Spillers or by phoning 029 2023 0130.

John Grant and 79 other acts set for SWN 2012

SWN have announced 80 acts taking part in this year's festival in various Cardiff venues 18th - 21st October. Highlights include John Grant, Dry the River,Django Django and hotly tipped new band the Vestals. Tickets will be going on sale soon. *A Girl Called Ruth * Afro Cluster * Al Lewis * Among Brothers * Arcane Roots * Bo Ningen * Brotherhood Of The Lake * Chain Of Flowers * Charlotte Church * Clock Opera * Death At Sea * Denuo * Django Django * Draw Me Stories * Dry The River * Errors * Eugene Francis Jnr * Exit International * Falls * Faye * Feed The Rhino * Fire Season * Fist Of The First Man * Gallops! * Gallows * Glass Pear * Golden Fable * Greta Isaac * Gulp * Hey Sholay * Hysterical Injury * Irma Vep * Islet * Jemma Roper * Jewellers * Joanna Gruesome * John Grant * Katell Keineg * Lanterns On The Lake * Laura J Martin * Liars * Manhattan Coast * Marc O'Reilly * Micachu & The Shapes * Milk Maid * Mowbird * Nebula * No Ceremony * No Thee No Ess * Out Of The Woods * Paper Aeroplanes * Peace * PINS * Prosperina * Quiet Marauder * Rangda * Rozi Plain * Rusty Shackle * Sam Airey * Scritti Politti * Sex Hands * Shy And The Fight * Sion Russell Jones * The Adelines * The Ash And The Oak * The Bright Young People * The Invisible * The Knox * The Lovely Eggs * The School * The Vestals * This Many Boyfriends * Tomos Lewis * Torches * Turbowolf * Urban Development Vocal Collective (UDVC) * Various Cruelties * Verity Susman * We're No Heroes * Zervas & Pepper *

Zervas & Pepper full band show

Cardiff duo Zervas & Pepper have announced their first live date featuring a full band. Having received increasing national UK airplay in recent months for their single "Cigar Store Indian" the band will be showcasing material from their forthcoming album as well as tracks from their well received debut "Somewhere in the City". Tickets for the gig at Clwb Ifor Bach,

Cardiff priced £6 on Saturday 28th July are on sale now from: http://www.ticketweb.co.uk

Al Lewis set for Headline UK tour

Al Lewis will be heading out on a 16 date headline UK tour this October. The tour includes a special show hosted by Newsoundwales in Cardiff on Saturday 20th October. Details will be released soon. Meanwhile Al has released a new EP entitled "Our Lines Remain" and this is available now from iTunes. Tour dates are: Eric's, Liverpool (3rd Oct), Cluny 2, Newcastle (4th Oct), Basement, York (5th Oct), Portland Arms, Cambridge (9th Oct), High-Barn, Great Bardfield (10th Oct), Glee Club, Birmingham (11th Oct), Cookie Jar, Leicester (12th Oct), The Castle, Manchester (16th Oct), South Street Arts Centre, Reading (17th Oct), Glee Club, Nottingham (18th Oct), Louisiana 2, Bristol (19th Oct), Cardiff TBA (20th Oct), Bicycle Shop, Norwich (23rd Oct), Komedia, Brighton (24th Oct), Boileroom, Guildford (25th Oct), Wilmington Arms, London (27th Oct)

Beth Orton at the Glee

Beth Orton heads back to Cardiff for a gig at the Glee Club on Tuesday December 11th. Tickets priced £18.50 go on sale 6th July and are available from Spillers Records in Cardiff and ticketline 029 2023 0130.

John Rostron joins Welsh Music Federation

John Rostron the leading music promoter in Cardiff has been appointed as a senior manager at the Welsh Music Foundation. Well known and respected within the south Wales music community he set up the annual SWN festival with Radio 1 DJ Huw Stephens and founded the Welsh Music Prize. Recently he created the Association of Promoters and Events Cardiff (APE Cardiff : www.apecardiff.com) a body representing all live music and clubnight promoters in the city. Rostron also founded My Kung Fu, an international independent record label which fostered releases from Richard James (ex of Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci), Soft Hearted Scientists and the first ever Welsh language release from Cerys Matthews amongst others. John will be moving to his new role in July and he is replaced at SWN by Gemma White who takes over as Event Manager and Gavin Johnson will shortly be joining the team as Business Development Manager. John has been a keen supporter of our work at newsoundwales and we wish him all the best in his new role.